1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data processing apparatus, a data processing method, and a computer program. The present invention is, for example, applicable to a system that executes processing based on a control request received from an external apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multiplex-type image processing apparatus, which is generally represented by a digital multifunction peripheral, is capable of performing various functions (e.g., printer, copy, facsimile, and scanner functions). The multiplex-type image processing apparatus includes a display unit, a print unit, and an imaging unit, which are disposed in an apparatus body, and also includes three types of application software programs corresponding to the printer, copy, and facsimile functions. The multiplex-type image processing apparatus enables users to select a desired operational mode so that the image processing apparatus can function as a printer, a copying machine, a facsimile machine, or a scanner.
The image processing apparatus may further include a web server function in addition to the above-described fundamental functions provided with the image processing apparatus. The web server function realizes a remote user interface that can provide a user interface of the image processing apparatus to a remote web browser. The image processing apparatus may further include a web browser as a web client function in addition to the above-described fundamental functions provided with the image processing apparatus. The web browser can be used to acquire (download) various contents from a remote web server and utilize the acquired (downloaded) contents for the functions of the image processing apparatus.
There is a conventional method for performing a display using a web browser of the image processing apparatus while installing user interfaces and logics for image processing apparatus applications on a web server. If an operation is input via the web browser of the image processing apparatus, a processing request is externally output to the image processing apparatus, as a remote request (e.g., a web service) via the web server.
According to the above-described method, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-003834, identification information (e.g., a host name) for identifying the web server is transmitted and received between the image processing apparatus and the web server to determine whether the processing request received from the web server is valid. If it is determined that the received processing request is valid, the image processing apparatus executes processing according to the request.
Further, as discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-359718, if one of an external processing request and an internal processing request is currently executed in the apparatus, it is useful to control the other processing request so as to prevent operations of the apparatus from conflicting with each other.